Borehole radioactivity system utilizing radio signal transmission



April 13, 1954 RADIO SIGNAL TRANSMISSION Original Filed Oct. 24, 1939 /f /4 O Y" i; j/f.

FIG.

INVENTOR. SH ELLEY KRASNOW BY W ha. r ,M

/f ATTOQNE VS Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATE BOREHOLE RADIOACTIVITY SYSTEM UTI- LIZING RADIO SIGNAL TRANSMISSION Shelley Krasnow, New York, N. Y., assignor to Schlumberger Well Surveying Corporation, Houston, Tex., a corporation of `Texas Original application October 24, 1939, Serial No. 301,078. Divided and this application March 21, 1951, Serial No. 223,092

8 Claims.

method and apparatus useful for locating deposits of minerals having radioactive properties. Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus by which one may measure radioactive properties continuously from the top to the bottom of a bore-hole. and have both an immediate indication, and a permanent record, of the radioactivity at various depths.

hi locating deposits of radioactive minerals it is often. the custom to drill a number of boreholes in localities where such deposits might exist.

t is further the practice to bringsamples or cores of the drilled material to the surface of the earth, and there examine themfor radioactivity by well known methods and apparatus. This method has several drawbacks. First, a deposit of ore may exist close to the bore-hole, but not be traversed by it, by which the deposit will be missed. Second, it is possible to make an error in ascertaining the exact depth from which a core or sample has been taken. Finally, it is rarely possible to bring all of the core to the surface, a certain percentage always being lost in the drilling or handling.

It is further known that deposits of petroleum are often markedly radioactive as compared with the surrounding rock material. This is believed to be due to the superior absorptive property of petroleum for radium emanation. Natural gas and ground water are also known. to be somewhat more radioactive than their surrounding rock `material. In drilling for either petroleum or natural gas, or ground water, it is desirable to know the exact level at which the strata having these are traversed by the drilled hole. This is citen diicult to determine, particularly when drilling has been done by the rotary method, in which the use of mud under pressure tends to wall oii tbe strata. Often too, the drilled hole will be lined with a metallic casing, which casing by accident or intention may seal off strata having the desired iiuid.

Tit is the intention in the present invention to provide an apparatus so sensitive, and' a method appropriate to its use, that the relatively faint radioactivity of oil and ground water may be detected in place in a bore-hole. An apparatus sensitive enough to serve this function will by its nature diiferentiate between the diierent though faint radioactivities of the rock material. Rock materials, depending upon their origin and dependent upon the minerals contained in them, have diiierent radioactivities. Thus, itA has been found that granite, shales having organic materials embodied therein, sedimentary rocks containing zircon, and rock materials having mica associated with them, are all slightly more radioactive than for example limestone 0r-V chalk deposits. Sandstones Will diierl in their natural radioactivity, depending upon the minerals'contaminating them. Organic deposits, such as coal, oil and natural gas, as mentioned above, petried vegetable matter, etc., will show higher radioactivities than for instance limestone and chalk. Thus, with an apparatus as sensitive as that described herein it will be possible to differentiate between different layers of rock by the differences in their radioactivities. Each layer in an area will have a characteristic radioactivity, just as it has a characteristic chemical composition, and for the same reason. Thus, the radioactivity of a layer will'serve as a variety of marker, serving to identify the layer wherever it might be in an area.

It thus becomes possible to identify rock layers in different bore-holes drilled in an area and thus correlate the strata. 1

Further objects of the invention described are to obviate the difficulties mentioned and securethe advantages mentioned above.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic showing of radioactivity logging apparatus for use-in a bore hole;` and Fig. 2 illustrates schematically the bore hole apparatus of the system shown in Fig. 1.

In the form of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 a cartridge I I is suspended in the bore-hole by a conducting cable I2. The cable l2 passes over a measuring wheel I3 and thence onto a reel I4 operated by a crank I5.

A measuring apparatus which may be employed in the cartridge II is shown in Figure 2. This consists of a cartridge I0 I, which is provided with a gas-tight partition |05 and a gas-lilledr space I02. Located preferably centrally within the space I02 is an electrode I03, carefully insulated by means of amber or other; low. leakage insulating.

material |04. vln the partition |05 is mounted a valve 2| by which gas may be introduced to attain any desired `pressure within the enclosure |02, after which the valve |2| may be shut and the said pressure maintained. The wall |0| is made of strong material, as thin as possible to reduce the absorption of rays of radioactive material passing. into the space |02. A material which will combine strength and transparency to rays from radioactive substances is utilized. Suitable materials are: magnesium alloys, aluminum alloys such as duralumin, beryllium, or beryllium alloys. A very thin steel housing may be used, the greater strength allowing the material to be so thin that absorption is not serious. The space |02 may be illled with any one of a number of gases. A suitable gas for this purpose is nitrogen, although other gases may be used with almost eoually good results.

It is of advantage to'rib or corrugate the surface of the insulation as shown, to increase the leakage path. Although element I 2| is shown as a valve. in practice it may be advantageous to use a standard type of sealed-off glass joint, as emploved in the glass blowing art.

The pressure in the ionization chamber is preferably higher than atmospheric so as to ,give

a greater ionization current. as will be familiar to those versed in the art. A pressure of several hundred pounds per souare inch will be found suitable. The voltage across the chamber is made as` high as possible so as to obtain an inv creased ionization for a given change in intensity of ionizing rays. The voltage is limited, however. by the fact that if it is made too high, ionization bv collision will result and the chamber will support a steady discharge regardless of the intensity-'of ionizing rays in its vicinity.

The central electrode |03 of the ionization chamber is connected to an element |25 serving to generate radio signals. which signals nass to.

the surface of the earth where thev are detected and their freouency measured. The. receiving apparatus is shown scheYY1 aticallv as |26 and will be of a type familiar to those versed in the art. This operates on a freouency measuring apparatus which may also record the freouency. By means of the reel 3 which is used to lower the apparatus. the depth .at anv moment can be told and correlated with the indicated freouency.

In cases in which the apparatus described above is used, it will be understood that measurements in a dry bore-hole will ordinarily be contemplated. In order to make this technioue most effective, it will be preferable to employ a radio wave of wave length comparable with the diameter of the borehole. With such a wave length, the bore-hole will act as a type of tube guidingithe radio waves to the ton of the hole. Such a modification will operate even though the bore-hole be filled. or partially iilled, with liquid.

Iiy a metallic casing such as 56 exists in the bore hole, the presence of a radioactive layer, such as R', may. nevertheless, be noted because of the easy penetration of the rays through the thickness of metal ordinarily employed for casing.

The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims:

1. In a method for transmitting to the earths surface a signal output generated by apparatus in a bore hole, the steps of generating in the bore hole an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength comparable with the bore hole diameter, modulating said wave as a function of the signal output from said apparatus, and utilizing the.

bore hole as a .wave guide for propagation of said modulated wave to the surface.

2. In a method for logging bore holes by geophysical exploring means and the like, the steps of generating in the bore hole an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength comparable with the diameter of the bore hole, modulating said wave as a function of the response of said geophysical exporng means, utilizing the bore hole as a wave guide for propagation of said Wave to the surface, detecting said wave at the surface, and cxhbiting a function of the modulation component of said wave.

3. In a method for logging bore holes with a radioactivity responsive element, the steps of generating in the bore hole an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength comparable with the diameter of the bore hole, modulating said wave as a function of the response of said element, utilizing the bore hole as a wave guide for propagation of said modulated ,wave to the surface, detecting said wave at the surface, and exhibiting a function of the modulation component of said wave.

4. In a method for loggingrbore holes With a radioactivity responsive element, the steps of generating in the bore hole an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength comparable with the diameter of the bore hole, modulating the frequency of said wave as a function of the response of said element, utilizing the bore hole as a Wave Vguide for propagation of said modulated wave to the surface, detecting said Wave at the surface, and exhibiting a function of the frequency of said wave. i

5. Bore hole logging apparatus comprising a geophysical exploring device adapted to be lowered into a bore hole, means movable through the bore hole with said device for generating a radio frequency carrier signal having a wavelength comparable with the diameter of the bore hole, means for modulating said carrier signal as a function of the response of said device, means for radiating an electromagnetic wave representative of said modulated carrier signal through the bore hole serving as a wave guide, and receiver means at the surface responsive to said wave for exhibiting a function of the modulation carried thereby.

6. Bore hole logging apparatus comprising a geophysical exploring device adapted to be lowered into a bore hole, means movable through the bore hole with said device for generating a radio frequency carrier signal having a wavelength comparable with the diameter of the bore hole, means for modulating the frequency of said carrier signal as a function of the response of said device, means for radiating an electromagnetic wave representative of said modulated carrier signal through the bore hole serving as a wave guide, and receiver means at the surface responsive to said wave for exhibiting a function of the frequency thereof.

'7. Bore hole radioactivity logging apparatus comprising a radioactivity sensitive element adapted to be lowered into a bore hole, means movable through the bore hole with said element for generating a radio frequency carrier signal having a wavelength comparable with the diameter of the bore hole, means for modulating said carrier signal as a function of the response of said element, means for radiating an electro magnetic wave representative of said modulated carrier signal through the bore hole serving as a wave guide. and receiver means at the surface diameter of the bore hole, means for modulating the frequency of said carrier signal as a function of the response of said element, means for radiating an electromagnetic wave representative of said modulated carrier signal through the bore hole serving as a wave guide, and receiver means at the surface responsive to said wave, for exhibiting a function of the frequency thereof.'

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,106,725 Curtis Feb. 1, 1938 2,106,770 Southworth et al. Feb. 1, 1938 2,219,653 Krugel Oct. 29, 1940 2,225,668 Subkow et al. Dec. 24, 1940 

